Skyring wins Longines Dixie Stakes

Calumet Farm's Skyring, who captured the James W. Murphy at Pimlico on Preakness Day last year, returned Saturday to triumph in the $300,000 Longines Dixie Stakes (G2) at Old Hilltop.

One of two starters saddled by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Skyring set all of the pace and held off a late-charging Wilcox Inn by a half-length in the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes. The Lukas-trained Optimizer closed through traffic late to finish third.

Skyring carried veteran Gary Stevens to a 24-1 upset victory in 1:47.87 for 1 1/8 miles over firm turf, paying $50.40 to win.

"He went to the front easy enough and we were able to back things up and he just sprinted home. A very impressive performance," Stevens said.

Imagining, the post time favorite, finished next-to-last in the field of 11.

"It didn't look to me like he got into any trouble. James (Graham) switched him out to get clear and it didn't look like he had to check at all. We didn't run in the Woodford Reserve at Churchill because Wise Dan was in there and we are tired of chasing him. He will go back to Arlington," said Michael Stidham, trainer, Wilcox Inn.

"I didn't have quite the trip I wanted to. But I'm certainly not unhappy with the effort he gave me. I thought I had a chance to catch the winner down the stretch, but I was just moving too late," said James Graham, jockey, Wilcox Inn.

"This horse loved this turf course last year. That's why I told the owner, 'We need to enter both of them.' There's really not that much difference between them. The public totally disregarded him even though he was very good last year. Optimizer ran a very good race. I wasn’t that disappointed. He had a little trouble and was in tight. Skyring is just a fighter," said D. Wayne Lukas, trainer, Skyring, winner, and Optimizer, which finished third.

"He was right where he wanted to be. I really couldn't give him an excuse. I thought Alan (Garcia) gave him a perfect ride. He wasn't beaten very far, and it was a very competitive race, so I'm not too disappointed," said Graham Motion, trainer, Howe Great, which finished fourth.

"I had a very good trip. It was a tough horse race. My horse gave me everything he had," said Alan Garcia, jockey, Howe Great.

"He didn't break that sharp out of the gate. That changed all the strategy because my horse is not a come-from-behind horse. He likes to be in the clear near the leaders. Unfortunately, he broke kind of slow today," said Javier Castellano, jockey, Imagining, which finished 10th.